Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Mental Health Spending Plans Reviewed

Alameda County

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to create 59 new mental health services positions and a trust fund for programs funded by Proposition 63, the Contra Costa Times reports. Voters in 2004 approved Proposition 63 to fund mental health services by increasing the state income tax by 1% on annual incomes that exceed $1 million.

Last month, the Department of Mental Health requested additional information on the county's Mental Health Services three-year plan for spending the funds. The county is expected to provide that information soon and hopes the plan is approved next month, according to Gary Spicer, planning project manager for the Proposition 63 spending plan.

Alameda County is expected to receive $11 million annually from the initiative. The county's plan includes programs for homeless people with mental illnesses and at-risk youth leaving foster care, jail or treatment. The plan also would create a program to assess the medical needs of older adults seeking care at emergency departments and clinics (Metinko, Contra Costa Times, 5/24).

San Joaquin County

San Joaquin County supervisors on Tuesday voted to delay consideration of the county's plan to spend Proposition 63 funds to allow supervisors more time to review the proposal, the Stockton Record reports. The proposal calls for the creation of 12 new mental health programs that would cater to underserved minorities in the county.

Under the plan, the county would spend more than $16 million in Proposition 63 funds by 2008.

The board is expected to consider the plan again on June 13 (Kane, Stockton Record, 5/24).

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